Many people think that homeopathy is a general term used to refer to “alternative medicine” or the practice of treating with herbs. Although some homeopaths do employ herbs, nutraceutical supplements and other complementary interventions as adjuncts, homeopathy is a medicine very different from these.
Where does homeopathy come from?
Homeopathy is a therapeutic system developed more than 200 years ago by a German medical doctor called Samuel Hahnemann. He abandoned the medical profession and gradually developed homeopathy, because he had become disillusioned by the crude medical practices of his day, including the toxicity of drug treatments.
How does homeopathy work?
Homeopathic remedies work in a more subtle way than drug treatments, although the results can be dramatic and very fast depending on each unique case). Homeopathic remedies appear to work by regulating endogenous systems of healing, the best known of which is the immune system and its neuro-endocrine interactions.
Homeopathic remedies do not necessarily take longer to work. Acute diseases respond very quickly to the correct homeopathic treatment. Chronic diseases that may have been complicated by years of unsuccessful drug treatments and / harmful lifestyle choices often take longer to resolve.
It is important to note that the practice of homeopathy recognizes every patient as unique, and homeopathic remedies are therefore ideally prescribed on an individualized basis. This essentially means that two people presenting with asthma, for example, might not receive the same homeopathic remedy.
What are homeopathic remedies?
Homeopathic remedies are prepared by a pharmaceutical process that involves the sequential dilution of various starting substances (until they become almost infinitesimally diluted), followed by vigorous shaking (referred to as succussion) between each dilution.
The prescription of homeopathic medicines is based on a principle called the Law of Similars, which asserts that any substance that can produce a certain set of symptoms if given to a healthy person in toxic doses, will cure a similar set of symptoms if given to s sick person in minute doses.
A good example of this principle is a homeopathic remedy called Arsenicum Album (abbreviated Ars Alb), which is made from Arsenic. A high dose of crude arsenic will produce a wide spectrum of unpleasant symptoms, including a restless delirium, severe diarrhea, vomiting, cold sweats (with intense chills) and tremendous weakness.
Arsenic (in the homeopathic form Ars Alb) is used very often by homeopaths, but then the original arsenic has been diluted to the extent that no physical molecules of the arsenic remains in the remedy. It is used to quickly and effectively cure the kind of symptoms described above (e.g. diarrhea, vomiting etc.) Most people who have received Ars Alb are astounded by how well it works.
Is homeopathic medicine safe?
Having described one of the most interesting homeopathic remedies (i.e. Ars Alb made from Arsenic), let me emphasize that homeopathic treatment, when prescribed by a qualified homeopath, is safe for all people, including pregnant women, infants and children, and is renowned for producing no side-effects. The use of a disease-causing substance to produce medicine is not foreign to conventional medicine either, as evidenced by immunization / vaccination.
The connection between homeopathy and immune-based therapies was recognized by Emil Von Behring (1854-1917), a pioneer of immunology and winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for his discovery of the diphtheria vaccine. He was outspoken in his support of Hahnemann’s theories, drawing parallels between the concept of homeopathy and his own discoveries, as well as those of Jenner, who discovered the smallpox vaccine.
Although it is possible to treat yourself homeopathically, it is advisable to seek the expertise and experience of a trained and registered homeopath. Homeopathic practitioners are recognized as primary contact physicians in South Africa, the same as medical practitioners.
Are homeopaths “quacks”?
Quite the contrary, homeopaths complete a five to seven year full-time course to the level of a Masters Degree in Homeopathy – M.Tech.(Hom). Medical Practitioners registered with the Health Professions Council SA (HPCSA) may also opt for the course offered by the SA Faculty of Homeopathy.
Any person wishing to prescribe homeopathic medicine or practice homeopathy in South Africa must be registered as a homeopathic practitioner with the AHPCSA. This includes Medical Practitioners. Graduates only become eligible for registration after having completed their post-graduate internship.
Can homeopathy be combined with conventional medicine?
The answer is yes. Homeopathic remedies are safe to use in combination with medical drugs under the guidance of a homeopath, although homeopathy cannot replace surgical interventions when these are the only option. However post-surgical recovery is much faster when starting homeopathic treatment as soon as possible after surgery or trauma. Homeopathy used while on conventional medication helps to reduce side-effects and stabilize a person so that they are able to either reduce or come off their medication completely.
During a Belgian research study 80 homeopathically trained medical doctors treated 782 patients using homeopathy. Prior to homeopathic treatment patients were assessed as having symptoms severe enough to interfere with daily life, inhibiting them from pursuing their occupation or education. At the end of the study 89% of patients said that homeopathy improved their physical condition compared with previous drug treatments. The medical doctors involved in the study also reported being able to discontinue at least one conventional drug treatment in more than 50% of the patients treated with homeopathy.
Is homeopathy effective?
Homeopathy has been proven to be effective and has been used successfully for over 200 years. Despite this, the controversy and debate surrounding it remains heated. Ill-informed critics believe that no rigorous evidence exists to support the efficacy of homeopathy. However, the activity of homeopathic remedies has been verified using pharmacological models and has also been published in many peer-reviewed journals. THe facts are considered irrefutable, statistically significant and reproducible, even if they cannot be explained by the currently accepted molecular paradigm.
The evidence
The HomBRex database indexes research on the effects of homeopathic preparations. At the end of 2006 it contained more than 1100 experiments published in more than 900 original articles, including 1014 biological studies.
The Bristol Homeopathic Hospital recently published one of the most comprehensive outcome surveys analyzing more than 23 000 outpatient consultations over a six year period.
This represented over 6500 individual patients whose overall outcome was recorded. More than 70% of these follow-up patients reported clinical improvement following homeopathic treatment. Critics of homeopathy, however, maintain that beneficial effects were attributed to placebo response.
A draft version of a World Health Organization’s (WHO) report on homeopathy concluded that homeopathic treatment is effective and that further research is warranted.
Sandra Smit interview about her craniosacral therapy and homeopathy on Expresso national tv, October 2012:
Homeopathy & Cranio-Sacral 